I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery monitoring device.
II. Description of the Prior Art
There are many previously known battery monitoring devices which measure and display the battery voltage. For example, such battery voltage indicators are commonly used in automobiles and other motor vehicles.
While these previously known battery monitoring devices are adequate for indicating the battery voltage, they are completely inadequate for indicating the remaining energy capacity of the battery. Furthermore, in many situations, such as the battery for a motor vehicle, it is desirable for the vehicle battery to retain sufficient charge to start the vehicle when required.
In motor vehicles it is oftentimes desirable to operate electrical accessories, such as the car radio, from the vehicle battery while the engine is turned off. In doing so, the battery becomes discharged. There are no battery indicators known to the Applicant, however, which provide an indication of the amount of time during which the battery discharge can be maintained and still retain sufficient charge in the battery to start the vehicle engine.